Eastwhich Academy
by luna365
Summary: Kristi always thought her life was average--she goes to a dull boarding school, has friends, and focuses on her schoolwork. What she didn't know was through betrayal and love her life would change in ways she never dreamed possible.


"Come on, Kristi, let's go!" My best friend, Nathan, yelled as he continued to pull me down the long, deserted hallway. We were late for first period class. Going to a private boarding school, that was simply intolerable. At Eastwhich Boarding School, anything that wasn't 'perfect' was simply intolerable.

"Okay, I'm coming!" I said, while trying to tie my shoe one handed. It was much harder than it appeared to be in the movies. Nathan continued to tow me down the hallway, ignoring me when I tried to yank my arm away from his grasp. "Let go of my arm! I need to get my shoes tied," I said, trying unsuccessfully to win the tug of war going on with my arm.

"You can tie your shoe when we get to class. We're already 20 minutes late," Nathan replied.

"And get yelled at for not looking 'presentable'? I don't think so!" I retorted, pulling on my arm again. Nathan let go, and I immediately bent over, dropping my heavy backpack, to tie my shoe and adjust my skirt. I looked up and saw Nathan fiddling with his tie. He hated wearing dressy clothes, but the school required uniforms.

Our uniforms consisted of the school colors, black and light blue. My blouse was white and had the school crest, an old goblet, sewed over my chest—my heart. My skirt was black and light blue plaid. Nathan wore a black shirt and khaki pants. His tie was striped black and light blue. Once we felt like we looked presentable, we began moving toward the dreaded classroom.

Nathan and I both had biology first period, and we both detested it. Well, not so much the class, at which we were both exceedingly good, it was the teacher we detested. I wanted to major in science when I got to college, so I had a special interest in this class. My religious beliefs were centered on scientific theories as well. As a result of this, I was atheist.

When we arrived at the classroom door, we both looked at each other. I silently prayed Mrs. Abbott would be in a good mood, which was a fifty-fifty chance. Then I quickly opened the door and peered into the classroom. We were in luck; Mrs. Abbott was facing the board and had her back to us. I snuck through the door and moved toward my seat. It was in the back of room, closest to the door. I sank down into my seat, grateful for not getting caught. I was in no mood to face Mrs. Abbott's wrath.

I turned and saw Nathan slip silently into his seat as well. He shot me a relieved smile, and I returned it.

Many people at Eastwhich assumed Nathan and I were dating, but they couldn't have been more wrong. I didn't know how to make anyone understand that Nathan and I were no more than friends, but I would love to figure out how. It would spare me all the dirty looks I receive from the girls at the school. Even though Nathan was just a freshman, he was considered one of the best looking guys in the school. He was tall, had black hair and beautiful green eyes. Basically, he was an undiscovered model in the making.

Reaching down into my backpack, I pulled out my Biology notebook and a pen. Looking up, I saw that Mrs. Abbott was making a chart that explained the transformation from gorilla to man. It looked like we were beginning evolution today. Opening my book to a new page and uncapping my pen, I began to copy what Mrs. Abbott was creating. Looking over at Nathan, I saw that he wasn't taking notes.

"So as you can see, gorillas are in the Hominoid family," Mrs. Abbott said, turning from the board to face the class. "Open your books to page—well, it looks like we have two new additions to our class. Miss Rita and Mr. Cabot, welcome. I'm glad that you finally decided to grace us with your presence," Mrs. Abbott sneered. I winced inside. My luck had run out; Mrs. Abbott was in her bad mood today.

"I apologize, Mrs. Abbott," Nathan replied, turning on the charm that only Nathan Cabot possessed. "We had an incident in Kristi's dorm room."

"Oh, and what might that incident have been?" Mrs. Abbott asked.

"A bird came through my window. The window, unfortunately, was closed. Glass shattered everywhere, and the bird was killed," I replied. It was the truth; a bird really had flown through my window. I shuddered at the memory. The bird was so helpless, and there was nothing I could do to save it.

"Why, may I ask, was Mr. Cabot in your dorm room, Miss Rita?" Mrs. Abbott asked, smirking. It was against school policy for a girls and guys to stay overnight in the same dorm room. She thought she had caught us in a lie. Of course, Mrs. Abbott wouldn't be worried about me, because, after all, it only mattered if Nathan and I were busted. That was Mrs. Abbott—she had no compassion.

"Kristi and I always meet at the cafeteria before we come to class. I was worried when she didn't show up, and decided to check her room," Nathan answered for me. Mrs. Abbott scowled at him.

"You both know school rules. Being late for class is unacceptable. Both of you report to the principal's office," Mrs. Abbott said. I could have sworn her voice sounded satisfied, and I was probably right. When Mrs. Abbott was in a bad mood, she was _really_ in a bad mood, and usually decided to take it out on her students.

Sighing, I closed my notebook and pen and threw them into my bag. I slipped out of my seat and headed toward the door, hearing Nathan behind me. I could feel all thirteen pairs of my classmates' eyes on my back as I exited through the door I had come through not ten minutes ago. Nathan closed the door as I slumped against the wall.

"I just love Mrs. Abbott," I grumbled. I heard Nathan's chuckle beside me.

"Cheer up, Kristi. What's one trip to the principal's office going to do?" Nathan asked as he grabbed my wrist and began towing me toward the office of the principal, Mr. Sergio. I groaned, pulling my wrist from his grasp.

"I know where the principal's office is, thank you very much," I snapped. I saw a flash of hurt cross Nathan's features, but after a second it was gone.

He shrugged. "Fine, suit yourself," he replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets and picking up his pace. I mentally cursed myself. Nathan was just being his joking old self, and I snapped at him. Today was just not my day. Sighing, I ran to catch up with him.

"Nathan, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you like that," I said, practically jogging to keep up with his pace.

"It's fine, Kristi," he replied, keeping his eyes trained straight forward. I looked down. I hated upsetting Nathan; he usually didn't deserve it. We climbed the winding stairs up to the floor that held all the faculty offices.

With its gothic looking buildings and winding staircases, Eastwhich Academy looked more like a castle than a school. The Academy treated their few students like royalty, too. It was an exclusive school that only accepted the brightest or the richest.

Nathan fell into the richest category. I fell into the brightest category.

Mr. Sergio's office was down at the end of the hallway, with a huge door that seemed to mock students as they walked towards it, as the carvings on the door looked like a smirking face. As soon as I entered the room, I could tell we were in the right place. Bookcases lined the west wall, and leather-bound books sat neatly in place on them. A giant portrait of Mr. Sergio glared down at us from the wall right in front of us. Oh, and the fact that Mr. Sergio sat at the desk in front of the portrait was a pretty big tip off that we were in the correct office. He glared at both Nathan and I as we stepped through the threshold.

"So, you were late for class because a bird flew through your window, Miss Rita?" Mr. Sergio asked me.

"Yes, sir," I replied. Instead of meeting the glare Mr. Sergio was leveling at me, I stared down at the desk.

"You won't mind if I send someone to go check this out." It wasn't a question, it was a demand.

"Not at all, sir," I said.

"Mr. Cabot, this is the final straw for you," Mr. Sergio said, turning his gaze to Nathan. "You always find a way to be in trouble, one way or another. You will both receive detention. I will talk to your parents about your behavior," Mr. Sergio said, with a satisfied smirk on his face as he watched Nathan. Apparently Mr. Sergio was in a bad mood as well. Nathan glared back at him.

"I highly suggest you don't do that, sir. My parents won't be happy," Nathan said, sitting up straighter in his chair.

"Oh, so you think you deserve special treatment, do you?" Mr. Sergio snapped.

"No, I don't," Nathan mumbled, slouching in his chair once again.

"Good, I'm glad we've come to a decision," Mr. Sergio replied sarcastically. Nathan glared at him, again. "You will both report to detention for the remainder of the school day." I could feel my eyes widening. For the rest of the day?! We were only twenty minutes late for class!

"Sir—" I started, but his glare cut me off mid-sentence.

"_Go_!" He practically snarled at us. I jumped out of my chair and walked so fast that I was almost running out the door. I heard the door shut behind me, and turned to see Nathan.

"Well, that was fun," he said sarcastically. I nodded and sighed.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you, Nathan," I said. He smiled at me.

"It's fine. I'm sorry that I overreacted," he replied, still smiling.

"Well, I don't mind. I'm used to it by now," I said, pushing him playfully. He feigned a hurt look and held his heart.

"You've wounded me," he teased. I snorted.

"I'm sure that you'll get over it. It happens often," I retorted.

"I would push you back, but I hear it's impolite to push ladies…though I would hardly call you one," Nathan countered, smiling at me.

"That's right. I'm no lady and I'm damn proud of it," I said, putting my hands on my hips and sticking my tongue out at him. Nathan stared at me for a second, and then started laughing.

"That…was…the…weirdest…thing…I've…ever…seen." He managed to say between gasps of breath. I made a face at him and grabbed his hand.

"Come on, Pretty Boy. Let's get to detention," I spit out the word detention, and began guiding Nathan down the hallway. The detention room was on the lowest level of the building in which academic classes were held, known at other schools as the basement. Nathan allowed me to pull him down the stairwell.

"Excuse me, but, 'Pretty Boy'? I believe that's the worst nickname I've ever had," Nathan said. I rolled my eyes, even though he couldn't see.

"I think it suits you, actually," I teased. Nathan grumbled incoherently beside me.

We made our way down the stairs and to the room we would be spending until 3:20. I wondered if they would even let us out to eat lunch.

"Well, this is quite a surprise," Ms. Aphra said looking at me.

Ms. Aphra was my favorite teacher. I had her for Art. She was never moody, unlike all the other teachers here and always had a smile on her face. She moved here last year; she had just graduated with a degree in art and art history from The Art Institute of Portland. Her classes were extremely interesting. Instead of just making her students paint, she helped us find meaning in our paintings that weren't obvious to the untrained eye. As an added bonus, I never heard her yell at her students.

"What do you mean by that?" Nathan asked her.

"I expect trouble from you, Mr. Cabot. I've seen you here at least a half dozen times. Kristi, on the other hand, never gets into trouble. You, I would expect to see here, but not Kristi," Ms. Aphra said.

"Well, I guess you can't say that anymore," I told her, smiling slightly.

"What happened?" She asked me. I sighed.

"We were twenty minutes late for class," Nathan replied. Ms. Aphra snorted.

"Late to class and you get a full day of detention? This school is tougher than I ever imagined it would be," she mused, mostly to herself. "Take a seat anywhere you want. I suggest you read a book or catch up on work, because this is going to be one long day," she advised.

"Are we allowed to go to lunch?" I asked. Ms. Aphra raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm…well, Mr. Sergio never told me one way or another. Would you mind if I brought you lunch from the cafeteria? I don't want to get into trouble," Ms. Aphra asked. I saw Nathan make a face out of the corner of my eye, but before he could say anything rude, I nodded. Ms. Aphra gestured for us to take a seat. Nathan followed me as I took a seat in the back of the room, a couple of desks away from the windowless wall.

Nathan sat down next to me, took out a book from his backpack, and began reading. I took out some extra credit work I had been meaning to do in history, and began working. As I worked, I thought back to my past.

My parents had died when I was very young; I barely remember them. People who knew my parents said I got my height from both of them, my dark hair from my father, with the occasional red highlight from my mother. I was said to have inherited my bright blue eyes from both of them. Plus, my bone structure was a mix of them as well. I got my delicate nose from my mother, my strong cheekbones from my father, and my long legs from both of them. Basically, I was an even genetic mix of the two.

After my parents had died, a young couple had taken me in. I was the closest thing they had to a child of their own. My adoptive mother couldn't have kids. I had an excellent life with them. As far as I was concerned, I was their child. I lived with them until my adoptive father had a job transfer and had to move to Switzerland. I didn't want to move all the way to Switzerland, so my parents agreed that I could go to a boarding school. After loads of research, we found Eastwhich Academy. I was always a bright student, and was accepted to start immediately.

I knew it was horrible to be a new girl in the beginning of the year. However, I was the new girl in the _middle_ of 8th grade. It was extremely awkward and scary to walk into the castle-like school, feeling like a freak because mostly everyone stared at you. I felt out of place, and was soon regretting the decision not to move to Switzerland with my parents.

Because I didn't read completely through the trusty handbook that Eastwhich Academy had been so kind to give me, I didn't know the school song. Unfortunately, I was told to sing it one day in music class. I was the talent show winner four years in a row at my school. Every year I won by singing. Every year, the judges would come up to me after my performance and try to convince me something ridicules such as going for a record deal or trying out for American Idol. I was known to have a siren's voice. That reputation traveled with me to Eastwhich Academy. As the teacher waited eagerly to hear my voice, I stood at the front of the class, sweating bullets.

Nathan came to my rescue that day, and no matter how he did it, I viewed him as my knight in shining armor. He pulled the fire alarm. By the time everyone figured out it was a false alarm, class had ended. I thanked him, and he offered to help me memorize the school song. It came in handy the next day when the teacher asked me to sing again. When I asked him later why he helped me, he replied that he couldn't bear to see anyone with that deer in the headlights look. We became good friends right then.

Sighing, I pulled myself out of my reminiscence and glanced at the clock. I had been staring off into space for an hour. I glanced over at Nathan, and saw him staring right back.

"What?" I asked. Nathan smirked.

"You've had that spaced look on your face since we sat down. What's on your mind?" He asked me. I shrugged, and Nathan chuckled. "Is it something embarrassing? I promise I can keep a secret," He said, crossing his heart.

Smiling, I shook my head. "You know you can never keep secrets. Besides, I'm not thinking about anything secret. I was just thinking about my parents; wondering what they're doing. You know, the usual," I replied. Nathan raised an eyebrow, but didn't push further on the topic. I assumed he wanted to hear something interesting, not me thinking about my parents. Nathan slouched in his seat and picked up his book.

"You might want to do something to occupy yourself, because this is going to be a long day," he said, his eyes never leaving the page of his book. I sighed and began working on my history extra credit again, only to be pulled back into my past.

Oh yes, this was going to be one long, tough day.

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**Hey guys! I'm backkkk!! For those of you that might remember me, sorry I took so long to start writing again! For those of you who don't know/care, I hope you enjoyed the beginning of the story!**

**Hopefully (key word hopefully) I'll have a beta soon, so some of this chapter may change...but we'll have to see.**

**I'll update ASAP, but I'd like to wait until I can find a beta. I hope I kept you entertained enough to want to read more!!!**

_**P.S. I Love You...and review review--even if it is just to randomly babble or tell me how much I suck**_


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